Environment light cues, that occur naturally in the world, occur at differing intensities, leading to different reactions by the species. When the light cues become artificially intense, the animals respond in a very strong manner.

The result is that the species, particularly dragonflies and other insects, is that light emitting surfaces are being confused for bodies of water. Water is a necessity for many insects as breeding and nurturing grounds for offspring. Since the insects have become disoriented, they are not finding the bodies of water and are dying without propagation.

The Christmas Tree tradition started in Germany. Because of its shape, it was a symbol of the holy trinity; father, son, holy ghost. It became revered as God’s Tree. The tradition became fashionable after Queen Victoria, in 1846, took a photo with her family by a decorated tree. From that point on, the decorations of the tree became more important than the symbol of the tree, itself.

It is a shame that these trees are raised to be killed for folly. Many of them are filled with pesticides. And, in killing them, the ecosystems, even in Christmas tree farms, that have formed around them are destroyed.

This year, at least in California, it would be great to consider this:

THE LIVING CHRISTMAS COMPANY

It’s simple! You select the type and size of tree you’d like to adopt and we deliver it to your home for Christmas. The price includes delivery to your door before Christmas and pick up after. We will also hold a small deposit that will be refunded once your tree is safely returned.

You can keep your beautiful Living Christmas Tree for three weeks or so, after which, it becomes unhealthy for the tree to remain inside. You’ll need to select drop-off and pick-up times for your location, based on your availability and the good health of the tree. Even though you’ll still have to say goodbye to your tree, know that, instead of going out with the trash, it will be returned to the North Pole, so it can continue growing until next Christmas.

By renting your tree, it stays alive. It is returned at the end of the season and the company maintains it for the following year, when you can rent a tree again. I think this is GREAT. Prices, at this time, are a little higher than purchasing a dead tree. They are trying to make it as economical as possible. With growth and popularity, it will be!

If it isn’t too late, I would hope you all consider renting a tree this year.

Hydroponic Farm

That is why I found it interesting when I read today that CalTech is studying methods of urban hydroponic gardening and roof top farms. I suppose one reason why is because I tend to think if a scientist is really researching something, then there is enough support to think we really need it.

Supporters point to the environmental cost of trucking produce from farms to cities, the loss of wilderness for farmland to feed a growing world population, and the risk of bacteria along extensive, insecure food chains as reasons for establishing urban hydroponic farms.

And, so far there seems to be some great data:

Cornell agriculturist Philson Warner, who designed the program’s hydroponics system, said his students harvest hundreds of heads of lettuce a week from an area smaller than five standard parking spaces by using a special nutrient-rich solution instead of water.

The numbers have some researchers imagining a future when enough produce to feed entire cities is grown in multistory buildings sandwiched between office towers and other structures.

You can find the whole article HERE, via Huffington Post

Department of Energy Tells Scientists to Cut and Run, via Huffington Post

I didn’t know this study was in place. And, it seems just as I found out about it, it will disappear.

For more than a decade, the federal government has spent millions of dollars pumping elevated levels of carbon dioxide into small groups of trees to test how forests will respond to global warming in the next 50 years.

The U.S. Department of Energy, however, which is funding the project, has told the scientists to chop down the trees, collect the data and move on to new research.

There are mixed reasons for why they want to stop the study. Apparently, they put together a group of people, with unknown backgrounds, and decided that they had enough data. But, why are the scientists in charge of the experiment considered the experts to determine this. In fact, some data is seems extremely relevant and needs to be studied further:

Results so far indicate that elevated levels of carbon dioxide make forests grow more quickly, said Ram Oren, professor of ecology at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences and principal investigator on the experiments there.

But unless forests are on fertile ground _ hard to come by because of development _ growth will be in leaves, needles, and fine roots, which die off and decompose in a year or two, releasing the carbon dioxide back to the atmosphere, Oren said.

I guess we will see how this develops.

…enables passionate travelers and the eco-conscious to learn about and plan a visit to see rare cultural, historic, and natural places before they are irrevocably altered or even gone forever. Here are one-of-a-kind landscapes, fragile ecosystems, rare bird habitats, places to see the last remaining species of big game in the wild, cityscapes in peril, vanishing cultural kitsch, petroglyphs, and more—500 thoughtfully-chosen treasures that will inspire and enlighten travelers of all ages.

Each entry explains why it’s been included, gives its history, the nature of the threat against it, brief practical information on how to visit, and what visitors can to do protect it. A Geographical Index allows travelers to locate attractions across the world. Photos throughout the book help bring destinations to life.

You can find the book HERE

All I can say is… whoa.

Go HERE for all the photos. Some are presented below.

A cat-eyed tree-snake, coiled around a branch, was locked in an embrace with a Morelet’s treefrog – a critically endangered species.

Sulawesi macaques are now at high risk of extinction.

White-tailed eagles are the largest eagles in northern Europe, with a wingspan of more than two metres.

I have been a proponent of green roofs for a very long time. As I see it, it is unused space. We have taken away from the ground level, but can our roofs and get value out of them, as if we never built the building in the first place.

I mean, seriously, think of all the unused land. We could farm in the midst of that god awful urban sprawl. You can clean the air by the sheer increase in photosynthetic function. You can cool the planet with the simple move of having less concrete absorbing all that heat.

And on top of all of that… it saves YOU money. I think this is the single greatest investment you can make to your home.

GOOD magazine recently had Malcolm Gladwell, of Blink and Tipping Point fame, look into green roofs and write about it. Go HERE. It’s very informative and maybe will inspire you to update your home….?

I don’t know how better to say what happened today. Bush and his people are giving the middle finger to the environment, once again.

Parts of the Endangered Species Act may soon be extinct. The Bush administration wants federal agencies to decide for themselves whether highways, dams, mines and other construction projects might harm endangered animals and plants.

New regulations, which don’t require the approval of Congress, would reduce the mandatory, independent reviews government scientists have been performing for 35 years, according to a draft first obtained by The Associated Press.

It was originally announced in August that the administration was going to reevaluate the law, and fortunately 100,000-200,000 plus letters were sent opposing the decision. Over the next four, eight hour days, 15 people are going to peruse these letters and determine if they have any chance of changing his mind.

Let me put it this way… if you are a praying kind of person… this might be something to include.

You can get a summary from a CNN article from August HERE. And you can get some information about the letters HERE and HERE.

Click HERE.

Even the worst-case scenarios described by climate scientists are proving, in many cases, too timid.

Global warming is happening faster than anticipated.

The American Museum of Natural History opened it’s doors today to an exhibit, Climate Change.

Their website is a wonderful interactive experience (click on the link above).

Treehugger was able to get there early and posted a great summary of what it was like. You can go HERE to see all of that.

You have quite a while to visit it in New York, as it is open until August 16, 2009. At that point it will tour the world, stopping in places as close as Cleveland and as far as Abu Dhabi.